Left Behind
by Eyesonly33
Summary: Squall and Rinoa are finished, and 4 years into the future everyone is starting to see the effect of not having Rinoa around on Squall, but can either one of them forgive what has happened between them for the greater good? Read/ Review!!


Left Behind

Disclaimer * I don't own anything, I wish I owned Final Fantasy, but I don't, and I'm poor"

"_ Wake me up inside_

Wake me up inside

Call my name

And Save me from the dark

Get my blood to run

Before I become undone

Save me from the nothing I've become"

Chapter One :: A little evil inside

Zell sat in his chair, staring in unflattering disbelief at his former friend. _Yes _he thought _Former was a good way to put it, Squall was no longer Squall. He was different, worse than anything he had been before. _Zell turned and looked at Quistis, and Irivine trying to read their expression, their thoughts. Irivine was glaring at Squall with a cold stare that only began to describe his hatred for his commander. 

"Zell.." Squall growled, pounding his hand against his desk, looking at Zell with eyes that reminded of Zell of ice chips. Zell stared hard at Squall, his fist clenched in his lap. Things have drastically changed in 4 years, people changed, people left, and now a dislike had began to grow. Zell wasn't the only one who would life nothing else to jump up and punch Squall straight in the mouth, Quistis was staring at Squall in complete disbelief, she hadn't met the "New Squall" yet, and now she was getting a full-blown version of him. People around the Garden had decided against the "New Squall" and chosen the title of " Squall without Rinoa". Zell thought it was a bit on the money, he hadn't realized how important Rinoa had really been to Squall, well he had an idea, but he hadn't thought she was this important. 

" If your done, looking off into space, we should get this meeting underway, so our guests can return to where they belong.." Squall growled sitting down and shooting Quistis and Irivine a look of annoyance. Irivine stood up quickly, and pushed back his hair and titled his hat slightly.

"Now wait Squall, what the hell is wrong with you?! We just got here! Aren't you happy to see us at all?" Irivine placed both hands on Squall's desk and leaned forward looking hard at him. Squall stood up quickly adjusting papers and thrusting them at Irivine narrowing his eyes.

" We will have the gathering here, next Thursday, on the 11th. Tell .. Selphie she can return here to plan the party out, till then I do not want to be bothered with this or with you.. do you understand?" Squall asked calmly, staring evenly with Irivine. 

"What?! Why Squall!" Irivine shouted slamming his hands against the table looking outraged and shocked at his former friend.

" It's none of your business.." Squall said simply, walking around his desk toward the door. Irvine grabbed his arm and held him tightly, pulling him closer to him.

" I'm not through yet.." Irivine started, but Squall pulled his arm away fiercely and shot Irivine a piercing look. 

" Don't touch me Irivine." He snapped through gritted teeth. Zell and Quistis stood up looking at the two men, Irivine was a foot taller than Squall, and he seemed to be leaning over him.

" Squall.." Irivine started placing a hand on Squall's shoulder, Squall examined the hand, then made his move. Taking a step forward Squall pushed the man hard against the bookshelf, placing a locked arm underneath his neck, Squall pinned him hard against the bookshelf. Irivine gripped his arm, and let out a raspy breath.

"Squall.." He said in a choked whisper. 

"Zell do something!" Quistis shouted, looking at an immobile Zell, who just cocked his head away from the site. Quistis grabbed Zell's shoulder and shook him slightly, tears pricking in her eyes.

"Do something.." She whispered, Zell shook her off of him and faced the other direction. Squall let go and pulled away from Irivine, watching him fall to his knees, holding his throat panting. Quistis rushed to his side, leaning down and placing a hand on his knee.

"Are you ok?" She whispered, but Irivine wasn't looking at her he was watching Squall in numb disbelief.

" I said, don't touch me Irivine." Squall said simply glaring down at his fallen comrade. Zell glanced over then hung his head looking dispirited and ashamed. Quistis slowly stood up looking at Squall horrified.

"What happened to you?" She whispered a tear running down her cheek. Squall rose his eyebrows and looked at her in a cruel amusement.

" Life, and loss happened dear instructor. Now if you to would excuse me, I have pressing matters I have to deal with." He nodded toward them, and looked toward Zell, who avoided his eyes.

"Carry on.." He said in Zell's direction as he left the office. 

As if a bomb went off, Quistis and Irivine both went into a frenzy of talking.

"What just happened here?" Quistis shouted, stepping in front of Irivine a placing a hand on his stomach to silence him. Zell turned toward them a look of great sadness in his features.

"What do you --" He started but Irivine pushed Quistis aside and grabbed Zell's collar and shoved him hard against the wall.

"Irivine!" Quistis shouted stepping forward, but Irivine shot a hand back to keep her at bay, Zell didn't fight back or get angry he just stared with Irivine.

" What happened to him?" Irivine asked calmly gripping onto Zell's collar. Zell turned his head away.

" I asked what happened to him Zell, answer me.." Irivine asked fiercely.

"Isn't it obvious?" Zell whispered closing his eyes. Irivine slowly let go of Zell's collars and took a step back, Quistis placed a hand on Zell's arm.

" Is it her?" She asked trying to keep her voice calm. Zell opened his eyes and looked at Quistis.

"Why would he be upset at Irivine, if it were only _her _Quisty? Think about it." Zell snapped looking between the two of them.

"It's everyone who he associates her with, which means---" Zell stopped his sentence, not exactly wanting to finish it or think about it.

"It's all of us, isn't it? Selphie, Me, Quisty and even --" Irivine started looking at Zell. Zell nodded looking up at Irivine and Quistis.

"Even me, he shuns me also." Zell nodded slowly looking determined to finish what he had started.

"But... why?" Irivine asked looking at Quistis.

"Isn't it obvious Irivine?" Quistis said not looking at him but watching Zell.

" We remind him of her, and he still cares about her doesn't he?" She asked Zell tilting her head to the side. Zell merely shrugged.

"He refuses to talk about her.. His.. gone wrong.." Zell finished lamely, unable to descibe Squall's new behavior. 

" And the party..." Irivine started rubbing his chin thoughtfully, looking at Zell.

"It's been 3 years, he still hasn't gotten over her?" Irivine asked looking at Quistis, then turning to Zell.

"He loved her Irivine.. if you loved someone could you just get over her that easily? Remember how he use to act when she was around?" Zell snapped shaking his head furiously at Irivine.

" Well why didn't he tell her? That's the reason she left wasn't it? Their relationship wasn't moving forward or backward. It was just lingering. I doubt I could be in a relationship that didn't move forward or backward. She wanted forward, he wanted nothing. It was destined to fail.." Irivine said furiously looking at Zell.

"It wasn't destined to fail Irivine. He needed more time, and she couldn't wait so long. Would you wait that long if someone you cared about, or if you cared about anyone may I say wanted to stay still while you wanted to move forward? They wanted different things that are what happens sometimes to couples. But it shouldn't have happened to them; they both cared too much about each other at a young age Irivine. We remind him of what should have been, and what he missed out on." Quistis said quietly as she sat down in one of the chairs, staring in front of her, not really seeing what was in front of her at all. No one spoke for a few moments then Irivine spoke up.

"That still doesn't explain you, not helping me, Zell." Irivine said turning his attention to Zell, who looked away ashamed.

"I have to keep out of the way of Squall, Irivine. You don't understand, you don't comprehend how much his changed. I have to be immobile when his around, so I can stay by him here. He needs someone, there Irivine. You three left me here, with him. I have to keep my eye on him Irivine, he may have changed, but his still my friend, former true, but in a period of time he was my friend. " Zell finished looking at Irivine with a grim determination on his face. Irivine shrugged slightly, and looked toward Quistis.

" Should we leave then?" He asked her, as she stood up slowly.

"Zell, we have to bring him back.." Quistis said ignoring Zell. Zell blinked at her, then shook his head throwing up his hands turning away.

"I don't know if he can be saved Quistis, his worse then he was before the big battle, and it took awhile to fix him back then, his slinked further into his _"whatever" _If we are going to bring him back we're going to need a miracle, and the entire crew.." He let his voice trail off, looking toward Irivine. Irivine hadn't responded to the "whole crew" reference, his face was without emotion, but his fist clenched then reopened. Quistis and Zell both stared at Irivine waiting for a reaction, anything.

" Fine.. We're doing this, again. Together. But first we need a miracle.." Irivine said simply looking at the other two.

"We need Rinoa.." Quistis whispered looking upward, thinking. 


End file.
